Owen Wright just returned, successfully, and beautifully, to professional competition.
In passable enough onshore three-foot waves, the former world-title contender Owen Wright just surfed in a jersey for the first time since October 2015.
Owen, who is twenty seven, finished with a heat total of 15.33 at the WQS 6k event at Newcastle, beating Brazil’s Luel Felipe, Nate Yeomans (a fabulous moustachioed American) and Alan Donato, also from Brazil. Sitting alone further out the back and around the point than the other surfers, Owen clocked left after left. He didn’t break the speed of sound, but he didn’t look slow. If we’re going to be critical, he actually looked a school above his WQS competitors, the straight-legged wraps and controlled straight airs a pleasure to examine.
You’ll recall Owen’s mysterious head trauma, of course. It was blamed on a hold-down at Pipe that put him out of that year’s Pipe Masters event, which also served as a title showdown (which Adriano de S0uza won). Even without turning up, Owen finished 2015 rated fifth, his best tour finish since 2011, the year he famously won the New York event and came third.
“There was a lot for me building up to it. It’s been the hardest year of my life, a rollercoaster,” he said after his heat. “I feel better and stronger and more excited than ever to have this rash shirt on and compete.”
Rumours circulated, as they do, that it wasn’t a wipeout at all that caused bleeding on the brain or whatever it was. But, whatever. Great surfer. Even better guy.
Still, the prognosis was as grey as the mystery. Would he compete again? Would he ever surf again?
Stepping away from the media, Owen threw updates on Instagram. In an early post he wrote: Sharing my journey – I went for my first surf a couple days ago. It was the funnest thing in the world. Funny thing is… i couldn’t get to my feet. So I just layed there. It was about knee high and the drop was.. well there was none but it felt like I was dropping into 10ft teahupoo.
A year later, here he is.
“There was a lot for me building up to it. It’s been the hardest year of my life, a rollercoaster,” he said after his heat. “I feel better and stronger and more excited than ever to have this rash shirt on and compete.”
Owen’s enthusiasm was real.
“Soaking this moment in and enjoying being her with my partner and my little baby… having fun with all the guys… To realise how much love is out there… it pushed me through that time. I’m stoked to realise how much love there is.”
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
The only people in the world who think Montreal has better bagels are people in Montreal. I’ve had the bagels. They’re shit.
NYC is the media capital of the world and you can see the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower and that awful 500-floor apartment building from Long Beach.
I do not know Owen personally but have followed his career closely as I grew up surfing nearby. I have not seen or heard one word about anything other than the wipeout at Pipe causing his traumatic brain injury. Derek – it is not on to cast a stone like that without some proof or details. If you have them, then report it, but don’t trade on rumours with such a serious topic. That is far from anti-depressive.
Considering the CT guys made LB look like a skate park they’d definitely do some damage anywhere.
“Rumours circulated, as they do, that it wasn’t a wipeout at all that caused bleeding on the brain or whatever it was.”
That’s a pretty big matzo ball to hang out there, guy…
ya… do tell!
And the final twist of the knife for G-Land..please no G-Land, please, please. The Bukit, ok?
It’s bizarre that Speaker couldn’t get either up and running: a comp in Indo and another CT on “merricas East Coast. Both were there for the taking.
Good for WCT surfers and hardcore surf fans…absolutely! Good for casual fans and growing the business…the media capital of the world is where you need to be.
I think all those hipster boards scared the fuvk out of them
are hipster boards popular in New York ?
Pilgrim? Saturdays? god yes. But it’s not afflicted with the dreadful Hipster Ennui thing at all, NY surfers by and large are super enthusiastic and make the most of the situation, and always welcome travelling surfers, it’s cool.
Not many hipsters in my neighborhood…lots of blue collar, white collar and municipal employees. We also have a famous artist in residence during the summer months so it is literally a complete mix of people. You’re more likely to smell stale beer and puke than patchouli.
Okay…how did I miss the “rumor” of what caused the injury?
Meanwhile…thanks, Derek…I always appreciate a plug of my hometown comp. My wife and I were just saying that the City of Long Beach should bride the WSL to come back.
they really fucked that one up.
They most certainly did. Hurricane season giveth and hurricane season taketh away, I guess. But still the locals supported the hell out of the thing (the merch tent was literally cleaned out) and the guys on Tour had fun so it’s not a stretch that they would come back. The chances of good surf aren’t great but it is the place for media exposure.